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Kristen Bell “Wildly Proud” of Zachary Quinto for Coming Out Publicly

1329502258_kristen bell zachary quinto article

When Zachary Quinto quietly but publicly confirmed he's gay in October 2011, no one was more elated than his former Heroes costar Kristen Bell.

Related: PHOTOS: Out and proud celebs

"Zach came out when he was ready, he did it for his own very specific reasons, and I'm wildly proud of him," Bell, 31, tells The Advocate. "If I struggled with an issue like this, I hope that I would be able to set that kind of example, because I'd want someone to set that example for me."

During their time on the NBC hit, "I was never asked a question about Zach's sexuality," Bell says, "but if a journalist ever asked me about anyone's sexuality, gay or straight, I'd probably slap them in the face and say, 'Check yourself.'"

Bell adds that Quinto, 34, "has always been sexy to me, even though I knew he was never interested in me. . .He has known exactly who he is since the day I met him."

Related: PHOTOS: Hollywood's LGBT allies

The House of Lies actress is a lifelong LGBT supporter, particularly in relation to same-sex marriage. "In about 10 years, knock on wood, I think we're going to be embarrassed as a nation about our behavior on this issue," she tells The Advocate. "It's going to be exactly like what happened in 1970, when people were like, 'Whoa, 1960 sucked. We should've let everyone ride the bus."

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